Former Cork City boss John Caulfield has already congratulated the Rebels on winning the title but the celebrations were delayed with Galway United coming from behind and beating City 2-1 in Eamonn Deacy Park.
Galway have suffered a dip in form at the wrong time and still have very little chance of catching City but they denied Colin Healy's men the opportunity to celebrate promotion in the west.
With United likely bound for the playoffs, this is a huge boost to their confidence, and the behaviour of some of the Cork fans meant that this was celebrated quite raucously in Galway, even with not a great deal likely at stake.
Barry Coffey gave City a second-half lead but, the game seemingly fading away, United scored twice in a three-minute spell through Wilson Waweru and Charlie Lyons.
It is on nights like this that United, who trail City by seven points with a game in hand, will rue their failure to beat Bray, Wexford or Cobh in recent games. Cork should be fine but will wonder how they blew a lead here when seemingly in command.
A huge Cork crowd descended on Terryland as the sun set in Galway but, despite United's title challenge having seemingly derailed, there was decent home support.
Ex-City captain Conor McCormack missed out due to suspension. In a scrappy start, there were few chances, but in-form Mikey Rowe's shot had to be cleared from a corner on 19 minutes.
Cork's first chance of note was when Aaron Bolger turned onto his left foot after a lovely Cian Bargary pass; Conor Kearns made a comfortable save.
Cork will wonder how they did not go ahead on 26 minutes. Matt Healy whipped in a corner with plenty of pace, Ally Gilchrist's header hit the bar and Jonas Hakkinen's follow-up, arrowed into the ground and did not trouble
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